As the semester and course come to a close, here is my reflection on what has transpired.
What have I learned?
There is a clear jump in quality between my very first project brief, and my fourth and final project brief that will be uploaded after this. The skills I have been able to pick up on thanks to the excellent teaching format of the course have allowed me to be able to feel a lot more confident making media content than I originally was. Specifically, I have learned how to incorporate found footage to be effective in my footage, and also learned where to look for it, and how to gain permission for it. This has made me feel like there is a much wider array of content available than I originally believed, opening up a number of options for me that I never knew existed.
Of course, my skills are far from being considered “good”, or even “worthy” to be shown to anyone. However, I know that I can leave the class feeling a lot more confident than I originally was.
How do I learn?
Considering the amount of study I was forced to undergo for the end of Year 12, there was actually no big “revelation” of my learning techniques. The way I learn’t remained the same, I need to take notes and read over them repeatedly to be able to have them remain in my memory. I also found out I cannot work intensely for more than 40 – 50 minutes at a time. Furthermore, I realised that I was not able to multitask at a competent enough level to be able to listen to lectorial’s and take notes at the same time. Finally, I confirmed that I am a lot more efficient when reading off paper, as opposed to something on the computer screen.
What have I found the most challenging?
I think coming from high school to university, the aspect of the course that I found the most challenging was the responsibility placed upon us to take care of our own work. Whilst Brian did keep us on track, he rightfully treated us as mature students, in the sense that he did not regulate our own work until it was time to mark it. This took some getting used to, however, by the end of the course I had adapted and become a lot more responsible for my own work.
What have you discovered about your own creative practice?
There were 2 major things I learnt throughout the course. The first was that I truly was meant to work in this field. This was something I always suspected, but had never been able to confirm in my own mind. The sheer amount of options for careers and ability to be creative and personal has allowed me to realize that the field of media is truly where I want to belong. Secondly, I was able to discover that I may prefer screenwriting to directing. I found directing to be highly stressful throughout the year, whereas I preferred the creative expression and relaxation that screenwriting allowed.
5 of my favourite blog posts:
1. When cherished films go bad.
Published on
https://www.mediafactory.org.au/corey-lisle/2015/03/10/when-cherished-films-go-bad/
2. Week 3 Tutorial Reflection
Published on
https://www.mediafactory.org.au/corey-lisle/2015/03/24/reflection-workshop-3/
3. The Deeper Meaning Behind a Classic Australian Film
Published on
https://www.mediafactory.org.au/corey-lisle/2015/03/24/the-deeper-meaning-behind-a-classic-australian-film/
4. Response to Week 5 Reading: “Collaboration”
Published on
https://www.mediafactory.org.au/corey-lisle/2015/04/14/response-to-week-5-reading-collaboration/
5. Week 12 Final Lectorial Reflection
Published on
https://www.mediafactory.org.au/corey-lisle/2015/05/26/week-12-final-lectorial-reflection/
Finally, here is the picture of my learning graph
In conclusion, whilst it has been very time-consuming and occasionally difficult, I can say that it was for good reason in the Media 1 course. I have made great friends, and learnt a number of important lessons that I know will be crucial for me as I try and make a name for myself in the media industry in later years. All credit goes to Brian Morris, who has created a forgiving, engaging and positively-demanding learning environment.